WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. — It appears that Wayne County hepatitis A cases are following a statewide trend and slowing down, though state health officials remain concerned and on alert.

Figures released Friday by the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) showed just one new case in Wayne County since the previous Friday, putting the county's total at 124. In the past five weeks, Wayne County has averaged about three cases per week.

The number dropped to about six or seven cases per week in September, which local health officials said could have been connected to its effort to administer vaccines. Then a week of eight new cases late in September put Wayne County's total at 109, making the county No. 9 nationally.

Hepatitis A is a communicable disease of the liver typically spread person-to-person through fecal-oral transmission or consumption of contaminated food or water. ISDH recommends vaccinations and encourages good hygienic practices, including washing your hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom, changing diapers and before preparing meals.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tiredness, stomach ache, fever, dark-colored urine, light-colored stool and jaundice. The ISDH said symptoms might take as many as 50 days from exposure to appear.

The ISDH has updated its website each Friday to reflect counties that have five or more outbreak-related cases. After Wayne County, Clark County remains second in the state with a total of 79 new cases, an increase of five since Sept. 21.

As of Oct. 26, statewide, there have been 578 outbreak cases, two deaths resulting from the outbreak and 260 hospitalizations.

"Although we are seeing fewer cases per week than we were in June and July, we are still seeing new cases each week and seeing hepatitis A spread into counties previously unaffected by it," ISDH spokesperson Megan Wade-Taxter said. "So it remains a concern throughout the state."

When calling the Wayne County Health Department, an option to listen to a message regarding local hepatitis A information is still available. The message welcomes anyone who believes he or she has been exposed to the illness to visit the local clinic, 201 E. Main St., during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

In Indiana, 79,240 vaccines have been administered in 2018, according to ISDH figures.

Audrey Kirby is a reporter at the Pal Item. Follow her on Twitter @ajanekirby, and email her story ideas: ajkirby@muncie.gannett.com.